Legal luminary Tsatsu Tsikata has opened up on a rare professional paradox. Standing before judges he once taught, and sometimes losing before them, yet walking away with pride.

Speaking recently on PM Express on Joy News, the former academic and advocate said he deliberately avoids leaning on his past influence in court.

Even when many on the bench are his former students, he keeps his focus firmly on the present.

“When I’ve appeared before the Supreme Court, even if all of them are my students, I have recognised the importance of not always reminding them that, because, in fact, some of them don’t want to be reminded.”

He stressed the need for professional boundaries. The courtroom, he said, demands clarity of roles, not nostalgia.

“But really, on a more serious note, I recognise in the moment that I’m before them that they have their responsibility as judges and I have my responsibility as an advocate before them and I must show respect for their position, regardless of what they were in the past. So frankly, I don’t dwell on the past.”

Yet, beyond that restraint lies a deeper sentiment. One shaped not by victory, but by the quality of justice delivered.

“I have felt very proud, and there have also been instances where you feel otherwise…”

He recalled moments from the 2013 election petition. Cases where rulings went against his side. Still, he found himself admiring the reasoning behind those decisions.

“I’ve had occasions when, even during the election petition, there were several matters on which they gave rulings and so on, and that is 2013, and some of the rulings didn’t go in our favour.

"But there were occasions when, as you listen to the ruling, even though it didn’t go in your favour, you respected the way, the reasoning that had gone into it, and even the conclusions that had been reached.”

That, he said, is where pride takes root. Not in winning, but in witnessing sound judicial thinking.

“And so yes, I felt very proud of many of my students again.”

The admiration is not limited to former protégés. Tsikata described a recent courtroom experience outside Accra. A judge he had never taught delivered a ruling that left a lasting impression.

“I must confess, when I’m in court these days, sometimes I listen to a ruling, and I’m really quite excited. Recently, I was in a court outside Accra, I won’t mention which one, and I heard a judge.

"I didn’t know who she was, but I had a judge read a ruling… the meticulous way in which she proceeded… it made me feel good… it also gave me the confidence that I was expressing in the judiciary, that you can have judges who will pay attention to the law.”

For Mr Tsikata, the essence of justice lies in method, not outcome.

“I’m sure that whoever she decided against in that case probably didn’t feel that she had decided rightly… but just the way that she articulated her reasons and came to a conclusion was just amazing.”